Quantcast

.22 vs 12 gauge

5150dhbiker

Turbo Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
1,200
0
Santa Barbara, CA
Ok so I'm looking at getting a gun on friday and need to make a choice for what I want to get. Right now I'm going between a 12 gauge or a .22LR. Most of my friends have both and I've grown up shooting everything from black powder to an M16..just have never had to pay for ammo or owned a gun before.

They're both fun to shoot but am going between a gun that I can spend almost nothing and shoot all day or more expensive ammo. Any suggestions for a first one? I might start taking up dove hunting but that would be a ways down the road and same thing with boar hunting (always wanted to try it)...and that's a different gun all together.

Anyways, any input would be sweeeet.

Oh and the shotgun would be a Remington 870...not too sure what type of .22 I'd want.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,227
20,006
Sleazattle
I'd get the .22 for economy and still boar hunt with it. If you 'rastle 'em down and put one behind the ear the .22 would be an effective and sporting boar gun.
 

gonefirefightin

free wieners
I can help.

considering dove season is over you should get a ruger 10/22

they are cheap, ammo is cheap and you can plink all day for chump change plus there is a myriad of aftermarket goodies for it

you will end up getting a shot gun down the road. the 870 is a great pump. since duck/goose season is a few weeks away you may end up getting both before you know it. what ever shot gun you get just make sure it will shoot up to 3 1/2 inch mags, otherwise you will end up buying another shotgun for geese.

as far as hog hunting goes I would bother untill your looking at a hefty caliber. lever actions prove very effective from the 454 casull and up

bolt actions are effective from the 308 and up.

when hunting hogs I prefer a lever action brush gun. something that will work great in close quarters but still prove accurate out to 200 yards.
 

5150dhbiker

Turbo Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
1,200
0
Santa Barbara, CA
Hmmm, I didn't know you could boar hunt with one. I'd probably be more comfortable with a 30.06 since my aim is not always the best and I think I would crap my pants if an angry boar started running towards me!
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
I don't know anyone who hunts anything other then coons with a 22. Depending on the barrel you go with the 870 is a versatile gun, but is mostly used for huntng birds around here... I'm saving for a 887 combo to replace my single as it is really a trap gun....
 

gonefirefightin

free wieners
For the price of a 870 you should spend a bit more and get a benelli super nova. by far the best all around shotgun.

I use my nova more than any other shotgun I have....and I have quite a few

it will do trap, skeet and sporting clays all day long without killing your shoulder with the recoil system it has in the stock. it will load down to kill dove and grouse on the wing, load up for ducks on the water but still be a hundred yard goose gun when loaded with 3 1/2 in BB loads and a high pass choke
 

5150dhbiker

Turbo Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
1,200
0
Santa Barbara, CA
Sweet thanks guys! I'm happy I've got till Friday to figure it out. Ok in reality I have till whenever but I get paid friday so chances are it'll happen then.
 

sstalder5

Turbo Monkey
Aug 20, 2008
1,942
20
Beech Mtn Definitely NOT Boulder
Shooting shotguns is pretty freaking awesome. But you can't beat shooting all day with a $20 brick of .22's

My plan is to get a Ruger 10/22, then get a shotgun when I have the money. Then a .38 special revolver :thumb:
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
+1 for a Ruger 10/22...you can hot rod those things like nobodys business. For fun shooting, do it. But for utilitarian puropse, nothing beats a good shotgun.
 

skyst3alth

Monkey
Apr 13, 2004
866
0
Denver, CO
If I could only own two guns, it would be a 12ga and a 357 revolver.

As much fun as it is to go out and plink all day with the 10/22, I always walk away with a bigger grin on my face after an hour shooting clays with the 12ga. Same with handguns, I put more trigger time on my 9mm because ammo is cheaper, but it's hard wipe the smile off your face shooting the .357.

If I were you, 12ga first, then look around for a used .22 down the road. Take your friends shooting (responsibly), but make them buy ammo. Problem solved.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
a .22 is always a good choice for a first gun. Cheap, fun, fairly accurate.

The ruger 10/22 as most have said is highly customizable, and parts are available everywere.

Although GFF has it right ont he .357....... SHoot that **** all day on .38's..... Use the .357 when you want to blow **** up.




If this is something you plan on coupling as home defense though..... then its 12g all the way...
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
So you can shoot .38sp in a .357 but not .357 in a .38sp?

I shot a friend of mine's S&W Model 686 and it was without a doubt my favorite pistol I've shot. Beautiful gun, but I doubt I'll have $800 to drop on a gun any time soon
View attachment 108155
Yes, a .357 round is 1/8 of an inch longer than a .38. The projectiles are exactly the same diameter... Yet the .357 will usually be a heavier, hotter load. the .38 fits into the chamber of the .357... this was done on purpose when law enforcement started using the .357, they wanted officers to have a more powerfull stopping weapon, yet they wanted a bit of versatility to use multiple ammo. Hence runm out of magnums you were ok because everyone else on the force at the time had .38's galore.

In addition if you were to load a .38 round with the projectile with the weight of a .357 and use the powder amount of a .357, and crimp your shell like a .357........ You have made a .38 +p..... do not run +p's in non .38 plus p..... Bad things happen...... Just flat out too much pressure in the chamber
 

TheMontashu

Pourly Tatteued Jeu
Mar 15, 2004
5,549
0
I'm homeless
you can pick up a used taurus for half that
S&W > Torus, ANY day

So you can shoot .38sp in a .357 but not .357 in a .38sp?

I shot a friend of mine's S&W Model 686 and it was without a doubt my favorite pistol I've shot. Beautiful gun, but I doubt I'll have $800 to drop on a gun any time soon
View attachment 108155
My dad has 2 of those, a 7shot 4 incher and a 6 inch one. Super fun good shooting guns. Can't got wrong with a smith either.

+2 on a 10/22 me and my dad have 2, both set up for silhouette shooting.
 

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
Just a curious question. If you don't like guns and do not take any joy in shooting them, but you need one gun just for home protection, what would you get?
In that case I would get no gun. Focus on the other things you can do like making sure you've got good doors and windows, and alarm system, lighting around the house, etc. Maybe a taser.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Just a curious question. If you don't like guns and do not take any joy in shooting them, but you need one gun just for home protection, what would you get?
12 guage pump action... Probably the cheap mossberg for about 250 275 range.... Rack it and you will probably never have to fire a shot anwyays...... Everyone runs from the sound of a 12g being racked
 

skyst3alth

Monkey
Apr 13, 2004
866
0
Denver, CO
12 guage pump action... Probably the cheap mossberg for about 250 275 range.... Rack it and you will probably never have to fire a shot anwyays...... Everyone runs from the sound of a 12g being racked
If it's just sitting around your house waiting for a bad guy to break in, Mossberg makes the Maverick 88 12ga for $150 - $180.
 

Mr Jones

Turbo Monkey
Nov 12, 2007
1,475
0
Lever actions make a pretty good racking sound too. If you're looking for something with some punch as well as a short overall length (essential in close quarters), look into a .357 lever action so you can shoot both .38 and .357. Both have 10 round capacity.

The Rossi M92 can be had for about 350-400, but If you can swing $500, go get a Marlin 1894C.

Rossi M92


Marlin 1894C


.38/.357 are also great to handload which saves you boatloads of $$ in the long run (initial startup can be heavy on the wallet though)
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
Unless you have some specific hunting needs, I would think you would be more than happy with the following 3 to kind of round out your "set".

22lr for cheap plinking
357mag (again, it takes .38 or 357s)
12g
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Lever actions make a pretty good racking sound too. If you're looking for something with some punch as well as a short overall length (essential in close quarters), look into a .357 lever action so you can shoot both .38 and .357. Both have 10 round capacity.

The Rossi M92 can be had for about 350-400, but If you can swing $500, go get a Marlin 1894C.

Rossi M92


Marlin 1894C


.38/.357 are also great to handload which saves you boatloads of $$ in the long run (initial startup can be heavy on the wallet though)
I will take the Marlin Please......

I love reloading my own .38's and .357's..... I have some .357's that will knock GFF's socks off..... Absolutly rediculously hot, Massive flame, retardely useless to use... but they are fun..... You can save a TON of money reloading these.... Very little powder needed.
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
you mean arrested for hunting hog with a .22lr right?
Yeah... From what I understand, at least here in CA, there are very specific regs on what you can use to hunt a certain kind of animal. They want to make sure you are killing it in one shot as opposed to wounding it with an inferior round and then having it disappear into the bush... maimed for life, but not dead or needlessly suffering.